Troops
are meeting fierce resistance as militants retreat into the Old City, where
street fighting is expected in the narrow alleyways and around the mosque where
ISIS declared its caliphate nearly three years ago.

A
man who spoke to Reuters via telephone said he had found the mutilated body of
a relative strung up from an electricity pole in the Tenek district along with
three other young men caught trying to flee by the militants.

"Their
appearance was shocking. We weren't able to get them down and they have been
there for two days," said the relative on condition of anonymity.

The
Kurdistan Region security council said the number of people killed by the
militants on Monday and Tuesday was as high as 140.

In
the Old City, more than 40 civilians were killed when the militants caught them
trying to escape, said a resident of the Farouq district where the symbolic
Nuri mosque is located.

Another
resident of the Old City's Shahwan district said a family of six, including an
elderly woman, had also been killed for the same reason.

A
woman from the Yarmouk district said she had narrowly escaped death along with
her husband and children after the militants caught them trying to flee among a
group of around 30 people.

"They
took our bags thinking there was gold or money in them and as they were busy
checking the contents, we fled through the houses taking advantage of the pitch
darkness," said the woman, who is now in an area under the control of the
security forces.

"I
fear those (families) who stayed in Daesh's grip met a terrible fate".

Gauseva
(serving cows) is something that comes naturally to Mohammed Yunus. But that is
also the sole source of livelihood for his family of dairy farmers.

Yunus
spends around Rs 50,000 every month to get the best fodder for his cattle. A
ceiling fan in his cowshed gives the bovines much-needed relief from the
searing heat in Jaisinghpur, a hamlet in Haryana’s Mewat district.

But
for all the care and provisions he has made for his cattle, the 56-year-old
cattle-breeder now lives in fear as a recent horror keeps replaying in his
mind.

Pehlu
Khan, a dairy farmer from his village, was beaten to death by alleged gau
rakshaks (cow protectors/vigilantes) near Behror in Rajasthan on Delhi-Alwar
highway on April 1.

“I
saw him being beaten by a mob. I was numb with fear when I saw Azmat (another
villager) lying unconscious on the road and the crowd beating him with hockey sticks,” he
recalls, adding, “I still can’t believe how I managed to escape death that
day.”

A
last-minute decision to take another route turned out to be the difference
between life and death for him.

Yunus,
Pehlu Khan and his sons, Azmat and others from Jaisinghpur were returning from
Jaipur after purchasing milch cattle, when a mob stopped the latter, pulled
them out of their pick-up trucks and beat them up. Khan succumbed to injuries, while
others like Azmat are bedridden with multiple fractures.

The
incident has shocked Muslim-dominated Jaisinghpur and nearby villages, where
almost 800 of the 1,000 families are engaged in dairy farming.

Angered
residents say that a man from a village of cow lovers was wrongly targeted and
accused of smuggling the animal for slaughter.

Imam
of the Grand Mosque of Makkah Sheikh Saleh Bin Muhammad Al-Talib on Friday
delivered a sermon preceding Jummah prayers at the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F)
centenary celebrations in Azakhel area of Nowshera today.

The
imam, calling for unity in the Islamic world, asked Muslims to shed their
differences and "be united as one".

"Muslims
should all be united. There should be no difference in Aqeedah, or in our
beliefs and practices of Islam," he said.

Al-Talib
said that the Holy Prophet's (Peace Be Upon Him) first action after migration
to Madina was to bring the Mahajireen and Ansar together. The ijtama agrees
that it should be compulsory to unite, there shouldn’t be differences in our
religion, he said.

Learned
scholars believe it is mandatory that there are no differences amongst us, he
added.

With
additional reporting from Javed Hussain in Islamabad.

Correction:
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the Imam-i-Kaaba
delivered the above speech. The error is regretted.

April
7 (UPI) -- Police in China's northwest territory of Xinjiang are being
penalized for not following orders to monitor the region's Muslim population.

A
total of 97 officers in Xinjiang were recently punished for not doing their
job, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday.

The
cadres in an oasis town in southern Xinjiang, including seven village
policemen, were disciplined for not properly spying on locals.

Officers
who did not register the precise number of Muslims at congregational prayers or
did not know the identities of those who were absent from patriotic gatherings,
like weekly flag-raising ceremonies, were penalized, according to the report.

The
announcement of disciplinary measures is rare, but is providing insight into
how the state maintains what are at times harsh policies against the 2 million
Uighur Muslims in the territory.

The
group has come under stricter scrutiny since a knife attack in February killed
eight people, and a bomb blast in December led to five deaths.

Village
police are also implementing forceful measures or blackmailing villagers as
crackdowns take place at a local level.

Authorities
who are resorting to bullying methods are being punished, according to the
state announcement.

Mosques
in the region are being required to install surveillance cameras and lax
enforcement of the latest rules was raised as an issue by the state, according
to the Post.

Islamic
State militants have killed dozens of civilians attempting to flee Mosul in
recent days, hanging several dead bodies from electricity poles as Iraqi forces
fight to retake the city, witnesses said.

Troops
are meeting fierce resistance as militants retreat into the Old City, where
street fighting is expected in the narrow alleyways and around the mosque where
Islamic State declared its caliphate nearly three years ago.

A
man who spoke to Reuters via telephone said he had found the mutilated body of
a relative strung up from an electricity pole in the Tenek district along with
three other young men caught trying to flee by the militants.

"Their
appearance was shocking. We weren't able to get them down and they have been
there for two days," said the relative on condition of anonymity.

The
Kurdistan Region security council said the number of people killed by the
militants on Monday and Tuesday was as high as 140.

In
the Old City, more than 40 civilians were killed when the militants caught them
trying to escape, said a resident of the Farouq district where the symbolic
Nuri mosque is located.

Another
resident of the Old City's Shahwan district said a family of six, including an
elderly woman, had also been killed for the same reason.

A
woman from the Yarmouk district said she had narrowly escaped death along with
her husband and children after the militants caught them trying to flee among a
group of around 30 people.

"They
took our bags thinking there was gold or money in them and as they were busy
checking the contents, we fled through the houses taking advantage of the pitch
darkness," said the woman, who is now in an area under the control of the
security forces.

"I
fear those (families) who stayed in Daesh's grip met a terrible fate".

The
army men, supported by the Russian fighter jets, engaged in heavy clashes with
ISIL North of al-Sukri region, and seized vast areas, including al-Sukri mines
and Hadad farms South of Palmyra.

The
ISIL has reportedly suffered heavy loss and damage in the clashes.

The
army's artillery units, meantime, targeted the positions and movements of ISIL
around al-Masoudiyeh village in Eastern Homs.

The
army soldiers also clashed with ISIL South of Palmyra and took back control
over Camel Racing Track along the road from Palmyra to al-Sawaneh Khneifis 20km
South of Palmyra.

Well-informed
military sources said earlier today that ISIL terrorists struck the Syrian Army
troops' strongholds after the US navy's missile units targeted Shayrat airbase
in Southwestern Homs on Thursday night.

The
sources said that capitalizing on the US missile strike, the ISIL terrorists
stormed the Syrian Army's checkpoints near the strategic town of al-Furqalas.

The
ISIL has yet to make any gains near al-Furqalas, the sources added.

Full
report at:

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960118000534

--------

Syrian
Army Makes Fresh Advances against Terrorists in Dara'a

Apr
07, 2017

The
army aircraft pounded terrorists' positions in al-Sibeh neighborhood and
al-Bajabjah street in Dara'a city, inflicting heavy casualties on the
militants.

In
the meantime, the army soldiers engaged in heavy fighting with terrorists South
of al-Manshiyeh in Dara'a al-Balad district, imposing full control over
Syriatel tower and three buildings.

Also,
the army troops repelled an Al-Nusra Front (also known as Fatah al-Sham Front
or the Levant Liberation Board) offensive on their positions in Dara'a
neighborhoods on Wednesday, while artillery and missile units of the army
targeted the movements of the terrorists in several flanks to cover their
comrades in the city.

A
well-informed source said that 15 militants of Al-Nusra were killed, two of
their tanks were destroyed South of al-Masri square and a machinegun-equipped
vehicle of the terrorists was also destroyed West of the city's old costumes in
the failed attack.

Full
report at:

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960118000560

--------

Syrian
Army Continues to Pound Al-Nusra Positions in Eastern Damascus

Apr
07, 2017

The
missile units targeted badly the Al-Nusra's concentration centers in al-Qaboun
district in the Northeastern outskirts of Damascus city.

Local
sources reported that fierce clashes are now underway between the army soldiers
and terrorists in several fronts in al-Qaboun, while the army's artillery units
are targeting terrorists' defense lines in the same district.

Also,
sources in Southern Syria said that the army cut off terrorists' supply route
between the villages of al-Hamidiyeh and Jabata al-Khashab in Quneitra
province.

They
added that the terrorists deployed in the villages of al-Horiyeh and
al-Hamidiyeh opened heavy machinegun fire at residential areas and army
positions in the town of al-Ba'ath and in the vicinity of Khan Arnabeh town in
Quneitra.

Reports
said earlier today that the Syrian government forces continued to push deeper
into the rebel-held district of Barzeh as militants rained the capital with
mortar shells.

Full
report at:

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960118000501

--------

Less
than 24 hours after US strikes, Syrian jets take off from Shayrat airbase

8
April 2017

Syrian
warplanes have reportedly taken off from the air base targeted by US air strikes,
less than 24 hours after it was pounded by dozens of Tomahawk missiles.

According
to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Syrian army jets had taken off from
the base to carry out strikes on rebel-held areas near Homs.

Military
officials had "done the impossible" in order to continue using the
base for sorties, the Observatory added.

The
London-based monitoring group uses sources on the ground to keep track of
events in the country.

The
strikes were in reaction to what Washington says was a poison gas attack by the
government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that killed at least 70 people
in rebel-held territory. Syria denies it carried out the attack.

Satellite
imagery suggests the base houses Russian special forces and helicopters, part
of the Kremlin's effort to help Assad fight ISIS and other militant groups.

Gulf
Cooperation Council expresses support for US air strikes on Syria

7
April 2017

The
Gulf Cooperation Council has expressed its support of the US air strikes on
military targets in Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons
attack on a rebel-held town that killed scores of civilians.

The
council’s secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council Abdullatif bin
Rashid Al Zayani said in a statement that the Gulf the US strikes at the
Shayrat airfield in Homs province will force the regime of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad to halt indiscriminate attacks on his civilians and breaking
international law, including the use of banned chemical weapons, in doing so.

The
Pentagon said 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from two warships at the
base from where US officials believe Tuesday's attack in Khan Sheikhoun had
been launched.

Al
Zayani expressed the support of the GCC countries for US President Donald
Trump’s vision aimed at ending the chaos, killing and destruction in the Middle
East and combating terrorism in order to restore stability and security to the
region and end the suffering of its people.

NEW
DELHI: The government has cancelled the registration of controversial
televangeist Zakir Naik's NGO IRF Education Trust under the Foreign
Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA), making it ineligible to receive donations
from abroad.

The
cancellation order dated March 29, 2017, says the FCRA licence of IRF Education
Trust, which runs the Islamic International School at Mumbai and Chennai, was
being scrapped under Section 14 of the Act "in public interest and in the
interest of maintaining harmony between religious, social, linguistic and
regional groups, caste or communities".

The
order comes months after Zakir Naik's main NGO, Islamic Research Foundation,
was declared an "unlawful association" under the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act.

The
home ministry said that as IRF Educational Trust was closely linked with IRF
with "overlapping activities and functions" and also because both the
NGOs were controlled and managed by the same person, Zakir Naik, it was
satisfied that acceptance of foreign funds by the IRF Educational Trust
"is likely to prejudicially affect integrity and sovereignty of India and
is also likely to be detrimental to the public interest and harmony
between-...communities".

Earlier,
the home ministry had issued a show-cause notice to the NGO asking why
impermanent FCRA registration of IRF Educational Trust should not be cancelled
under Section 14 of FCRA.

Amzad
Khan (37) from Rajasthan, who was arrested by the NIA this week following his deportation
from Saudi Arabia, was a virtual mentor in Islamic State ideology to former
Indian Mujahideen operative Alamzeb Afridi (31), investigation has revealed.
Afridi is accused of carrying out a blast at Bengaluru’s Church Street on
December 28, 2014, which killed one person.

Amzad,
who operated in the virtual world under the identity of Ayan Khan Salafi, is
one of the three persons named by NIA in a chargesheet filed in the Bengaluru
blast case last year. His arrest is expected to throw light on the identity of
the third accused, who operated in virtual world as Abdul Khan. Abdul allegedly
provided Afridi, the main accused in the case, with the knowhow to build a bomb
and the impetus to carry out the blast.

Abdul
is believed to be Shafi Armar alias Yusuf al Hindi (30), a former Indian
Mujahideen operative based abroad who has recruited dozens of Indian youths in
the name of the Islamic State and its Indian affiliate the
Junood-ul-Khilafa-Fil-Hind since 2014. NIA has not identified Abdul as Shafi
Armar in its chargesheet in Bengaluru blast case. Amzad’s arrest is expected to
help in this direction since Ayan Khan Salafi is known to have worked in tandem
with Shafi Armar, sources said.

Amzad’s
arrest is also expected to strengthen the theory that the Bengaluru blast was
the first Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack in India.

The
NIA, in a note announcing the arrest on Thursday, said Amzad was a principal
character in the conspiracy hatched by Shafi Armar to create the
Junood-ul-Khilafa-Fil-Hind, whose members “pledged their allegiance to the ISIS
for carrying out subversive activities in India’’.

AZAKHEL
(Nowshera): Saudi Religious Affairs Minister Sheikh Saleh bin Abdul Aziz has
said that Pakistan-Saudi Arabia military alliance is a “victory of Islam” and
its main objective is “renaissance of Islam”.

Addressing
a well-attended public meeting on the first day of centenary celebrations of
the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) here on Friday, he said that Pakistan and Saudi
Arabia would jointly take on the enemies of Islam and Harmain Sharifain (the
holy places in Saudi Arabia).

Imam-i-Kaaba
Shaikh Saleh bin Muhammad Ibrahim led Friday prayers after the speech of the
Saudi minister.

JUI-F
chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, diplomats and political leaders were present on
the occasion. Organisers expect that three to four million people would attend
the three-day events in Azakhel.

Former
army chief retired Gen Raheel Sharif has been recently nominated commander of
the Saudi-led 39-nation military alliance. Pakistan is member of the alliance.

The
Saudi minister termed the military alliance a formidable force to counter
terrorism and warned that there was no room for violence and terrorism.
“Pakistan-Saudi alliance will pull out eyes of the enemy,” he said.

An
emotionally charged crowd, responding to the speech of the minister, raised
slogans pledging that they were ready to sacrifice their lives to defend the
holy sites.

Imam-i-Kaaba
leads Friday prayers on first day of JUI’s centenary celebrations

The
minister said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were like “one heart and two
souls” which were cooperating with each other in the fields of science,
technology, defence, economy, education and culture.

The
presence of a high-level delegation of Saudi Arabia dominated the first day of
the centenary proceedings. The Friday congregation, led by the Imam of the
Grand Mosque, attracted thousands of faithful from different parts of the
country, particularly Peshawar Valley.

“I
came here from Lakki Marwat just because of the Imam-i-Kaaba. I am not
interested in the JUI-F,” said Najeeb Ullah.

“How
is it possible to stay at home when the Imam-i-Kaaba is leading prayers in
Azakhel?” said Qari Shah Hussain, a blind cleric from Peshawar.

The
Imam-i-Kaaba said in his sermon that Islam is a religion of peace and the path
to correction lies only in the Holy Quran and the ways of the Holy Prophet
(peace be upon him).

“Allah
has made the Muslim the best nation,” he said and urged people to hold fast to
God and refrain from divisiveness. He prayed for the Muslims suffering in Syria
and Palestine.

Maulana
Fazlur Rehman, in his welcome address, denounced terrorism in the region and
said that the JUI-F would never tolerate violence and militancy. “We reiterate
today that the JUI denounces violence in any shape and in any place,” he said,
adding that time had come to highlight Islamic teachings and values.

He
warned against “victimisation of people associated with religion and sects” on
the pretext of operation against terrorists. He said that security of Saudi
Arabia was paramount and stressed the need for eliminating the menace of
sectarianism. He expressed concern over a “growing inclination towards
terrorism and extremism” among people.

Heavy
rush and mismanagement marred the events on the first day of the centenary
celebrations. Thousands of people could not offer the prayers due to the rush
and the traffic jam on Grand Trunk Road.

Accommodation
and other basic facilities for the participants from Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab
and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas were inadequate. The ground has
been covered with canopies. A large number of canopies crumbled due to
late-night heavy downpour and speedy winds.

Horse-mounted
guards of the Ansar-ul-Islam, security wing of the JUI-F, resorted to light
baton charge to disperse the crowd.

According
to the organisers, around 25,000 volunteers of Ansar-ul-Islam have been
deployed in and around the venue besides police force.

Gunmen
on a motorcycle shot dead a man from a persecuted Muslim sect in eastern
Pakistan on Friday, police said, in the second such drive-by attack in recent
days.

Ashfaq
Ahmad, a 68-year-old veterinarian, was driving with his family in Lahore when
two shooters blocked his way and opened fire, killing him on the spot.

Local
police, who confirmed the victim was from the minority Ahmadi religious group,
said they were still investigating possible motives for the murder.

"We
are trying to ascertain if it was a target killing or if there was any other
reason behind it," local police official Qaiser Aziz told AFP.

Ahmadis
were legally declared non-Muslims by Pakistan in 1974 for their belief in a
prophet after Mohammad, and long persecuted in the deeply conservative country.

A
spokesman for the Ahmadi community in Pakistan condemned the shooting, terming
it a targeted killing, in a statement Friday.

Full
report at:

http://news.iafrica.com/worldnews/1047632.html

--------

Lahore
blast handler among 10 killed

IMRAN
GABOL

April
8, 2017

LAHORE:
Ten suspected militants of the Jamaatul Ahrar, including Anwarul Haq, the
handler of Feb 13 bomb attack on The Mall, were killed in an operation by the
Punjab police’s Counter-Terrorism Depart­ment (CTD) on Friday night.

According
to a spokesman for the CTD, a team from Lahore was taking five arrested
suspects, including Haq, to Manawan for seizing weapons and explosives when
they were attacked at about 1.15am near Ring Road by nine “terrorists”.

Examine:
Punjab’s militancy problem

The
attackers got the arrested suspects freed and fled towards the Ravi river in
the Manawan area.

RAWALPINDI:
Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa recently told a senior defence
official of Afghanistan he grieved for Afghan victims of terrorism as much as
he did for such victims from Pakistan, the chief military spokesman told a
visiting delegation on Friday.

According
to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations, the army chief
met the Afghan defence attaché in London during his visit to the United Kingdom
earlier this week.

ISPR
chief Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor told the Afghan media delegation that Gen Bajwa had
reassured the defence attaché that every Afghan was dear to him like every
Pakistani. “I am as hurt for every Afghan who is a victim of terrorism as much
as I am for every Pakistani,” said the COAS, according to the ISPR chief.

The
meeting between the COAS and the Afghan defence official came after the March
15 meeting between Sartaj Aziz, adviser to the prime minister on foreign affairs,
and Afghan National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar that was also held in London.
That meeting, arranged by the UK, was part of an effort to defuse tensions
between the two countries over alleged terrorist sanctuaries.

The
13-member media delegation visited the office of the ISPR chief.
Representatives of the Pakistani media were also present during the meeting.

They
were given a detailed briefing about the Pak-Afghan border and efforts made by
Pakistan thus far to improve the situation.

The
statement said that the aim of the visit was to let Afghan media know efforts
by Pakistan on the war against terrorism, which is a “common threat to both
brotherly countries”.

Ahead
of the multi-nation Moscow peace initiative centred on Afghanistan,
behind-the-scenes activity between Islamabad and Kabul seems to be picking up.
The mid-March London meeting between Sartaj Aziz and Hanif Atmar, the Afghan
National Security Advisor (NSA), seems to have set the ball rolling on two
major issues that have dogged the bilateral relations. London paved the way for
Afghan leaders' quiet agreement on a multi-tier border management mechanism, a
Pakistani demand stone-walled by Kabul for quite some time on the pretext that
"terrorists don't use regular border crossings."

Secondly,
thanks to the Afghan ambassador Omar Zakhilwal's proactive diplomacy, both countries
may be heading towards the resumption of formal dialogue before the Moscow
meeting. An unusual sense of urgency is evident from Zakhilwal's shuttle
between Kabul and Islamabad. Quiet messaging by major Pakistani stakeholders
also underscores the same: don't let the post-London opportunity slip away.

Politically
loaded circumstances, too, demand swift action for resumption of formal
contacts on the way to restoration of trust and initiation of counter-terrorism
cooperation based on the border-management mechanism, which foreign diplomats
in Islamabad, too hail as a major step forward. Background briefings with
Pakistani and foreign diplomats entail quite a clear picture. They appreciate
Kabul's limitation in a politically extremely volatile situation, yet they
argue that while the Afghan leadership has to be mindful of the domestic
audience (opposition to any formalization of the border i.e. Durand Line), it
does carry a responsibility of honoring the trilateral understanding on border
management reached at London.

Securing
borders is the foremost responsibility of every country, diplomats concurred.

Even
a little cooperation in border management would possibly amount to a clear
departure from Kabul's covert and overt position thus far; most of them insisted
that counter-terrorism cooperation was contingent upon military action against
Afghan Taliban/Haqqani network in Pakistan. This demand, accompanied by deadly
terrorist attacks on either side of the Duran Line, yielded little results
except precipitating tensions and injecting more bitterness in relations that
led to the 32-day arbitrary closure of the border on February 17.

The
closure, as businessmen point out, cost Afghans some 49 million dollars, while
Pakistani businesses lost some 170 million dollars - a sad reflection on the
state of relations between the so-called conjoined twins.

The
situation requires Pakistan to indulge in some deep introspection on its
treatment of Afghanistan - articulated recently by Gen. Nasir Khan Janjua, the
National Security Advisor. 'We should not think about Afghanistan with anger
and must work to fix the relationship', Janjua underscored on the sidelines of
a conference on March 27.

Pakistan's
new lenient visa policy for Afghan nationals, too, reflects the realization that
for too long Pakistani officials looked at it only as a refugee issue. Now,
following intense lobbying by civil society groups and intelligentsia, Pakistan
has a much more matter-of-fact approach, the first big step towards looking at
it as an issue linked to Pakistan's socio-political and economic interests as
well as critical for its image abroad. For too long, Pakistani policy makers
failed to relate the policy on refugees as Pakistan's own problem.

Secondly,
latest geo-political developments underscore some bitter realities; an
unfolding fierce contest between the US, that provides nearly $six billion a
year for the Afghan Security Forces, and the Moscow-China-led regional peace
initiative that has now coopted almost a dozen countries, including regional
powers such as Iran and India.

This
competition should ideally also trigger realization among key stakeholders that
following active Iranian, Chinese and Russian contacts with the Afghan Taliban,
the policy of dumping everything at Pakistan's doorstep and blaming it for all
ills of Afghanistan, has lost relevance.

ISLAMABAD:
National Security Adviser (NSA) Lieutenant-General (retd) Nasser Khan Janjua on
Friday assured General (r) Raheel Sharif was a well-wisher of Iran and his
possible role as chief of Saudi-led military coalition will not hurt Tehran's
interests.

Addressing
a conference, Janjua said the former army chief's decisions as head of the
Saudi-led military coalition will not be against Iran or Saudi Arabia.
"Sharif is not going to lead a Sunni alliance." Pakistan and Iran
appear to be at odds over the possible role of the former army chief in
Saudi-led counter-terrorism alliance as Tehran has voiced its concerns over
Islamabad's decision to give the greenlight to Raheel to lead the multi-nation
coalition. Janjua said that the perception that Pakistan is a dangerous country
at the 'centre of global terrorism' is far from the reality. "The world
thinks we are interfering in Afghanistan... [that] our economy is damaged...
[that] we are playing a double-game regarding the Taliban... [that] Pakistan's
nuclear assets are not protected," he said, adding that the true picture
of Pakistan was not being presented adequately before the world. In fact,
"Pakistan is a beautiful country with countless honeymoon resorts",
he said. The national security adviser said it is unfortunate that allegations
had been hurled against Pakistan without ascertaining the facts. "Did
Pakistan form Al Qaeda and Daesh?" he asked, using the Arabic acronym for
the militant Islamic State (IS). Janjua also said Pakistan has fought for Afghanistan's
existence, adding: "We have been confronting difficulties [in this regard]
for the past 40 years.

RAWALPINDI:
A thirteen-member Afghan media delegation - currently on a trip to Pakistan
-visited the Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR) office on Friday, where it
was given a briefing by Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor on the Pak-Afghan border
situation.

According
to a statement issued by the ISPR, the main objective of the interaction was to
let the Afghan media know about the efforts made by Pakistan in the war against
terrorism.

The
director general of the military's media wing shared with Afghan and local
journalists the details of a meeting between Afghan Defence Attache at the
United Kingdom with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa during
his visit to the UK. The army chief, while expressing his views, said that every
Afghan was dear to him, just like every Pakistani, the ISPR DG said in a
statement.

"Every
Afghan is dear to me as every Pakistani, I am as hurt for every Afghan who is a
victim of terrorism as much as I am for every Pakistani", the statement
quoted the COAS as saying,

The
delegation also visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of States and
Frontier Regions, Ministry of Commerce, Higher Education Commission and the FC
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Headquarters. The delegation was briefed by heads of ministries
that they visited.

Sindh
Rangers have released pictures of the suicide bomber and facilitators of Sehwan
Sharif blast, reported Waqt News.

The
bomber and other suspects can be seen clearly in the pictures taken from CCTV
footage.

According
to Rangers officials, the facilitators visited the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Shrine
on February 15. They saw the whole place in detail, sources added.

The
officials have urged masses to cooperate with authorities in recognizing these
suspects. "Rs5million will be given to any one who will identify these
persons and his/her name will be kept secret,” the official stated.

A
suicide bomber attacked a crowded Sufi shrine in Sehwan on February 16, killing
at least 83 people and wounding dozens more in the deadliest of a wave of
bombings across the South Asian nation this week.

Islamic
State, the Middle East-based militant group which has a small but increasingly
prominent presence in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack, the
group's affiliated news agency AMAQ reported.

The
attack on the famous Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in the town of Sehwan Sharif
comes as the Taliban and other rival militant groups carry out their threat of
a new offensive.

LAHORE
- A veterinarian doctor of Ahmadi community was killed in a brazen gun-attack
in Lahore’s Sabzazar neighbourhood Friday afternoon, in an apparent faith-based
attack.

Police
said it was too early to say if Ashfaq Ahmed, a 68-year-old retired professor
of the University of Veterinary Sciences in Lahore, was target killed by some
anti-Ahmadi militant group.

However,
Saleem Uddin, a spokesman for the Jamat-e-Ahmadiyya Pakistan said Prof Ashfaq
was an active member of the Ahmadiyya community and “he was targeted simply
because of his faith”.

The
deceased, who had a doctorate degree in food and nutrition, was riding in a car
along with his grandson and a friend to offer prayers at a worship place in
Iqbal Town when he was targeted on the busy road in broad daylight.

An
eyewitness told the police that a motorcyclist fired a single bullet from a
pistol at point blank range as the car was moving slowly due to the dug up road
near Shah Fareed Chowk.

“The
victim sustained a bullet in the head and died on the spot,” a police
investigator said. His body was moved to the morgue for autopsy. The attacker
was wearing a helmet and he fled instantly after the fatal assault.

The
deadly shooting comes just days after another member of Ahmadi community was
shot dead in Nankana Sahib district of Punjab. Malik Saleem Latif advocate, a
cousin of Nobel winning physicist Abdus Salam, was shot dead near his home in
Nankana on March 30.

A
police officer said they were investigating the shooting keeping in mind
different aspects of the killing. “Apparently, it was an incident of target
killing. Investigators are working on this case and the killers would be
brought to justice,” the officer said, requesting his name not be mentioned.

Who
are Ahmadiyya?

The
Ahmadi or Qadiyani are followers of Mirza Ahmad Qadiani. They were declared
non-Muslims by the government in 1974 after the parliament of Pakistan passed a
law. The legislation was done to set this community aside from the Muslims, as
Ahmadis do not have a firm belief in finality of Hazrat Muhammad (SAW)’s
prophethood.

As
a consequence they were barred from claiming Quran to be their holy book and
show any association with the mainstream Islam. So, on many occasions, they
have been arrested in the country for reading the Holy Quran, holding religious
celebrations and having Quranic verses on rings or wedding cards.

I
am totally disappointed with the deferment of the Law Reform (Marriage and
Divorce) Bill which would have put a stop to the unilateral conversion of
children to Islam.

As
many of us may remember, eight years ago in 2009, the cabinet had made this proposal.
Unfortunately, the proposal was shelved after the strong vocal opposition from
various quarters, including the Mufti of Perak.

I
am surprised that the BN leaders of the component parties were not prepared to
meet the complaint by the same person now. Other Muslim leaders who objected
had done so within a month of the announcement of the proposed amendments. Yet,
the government seemed to be ready to ignore their protests.

The
timing of the deferment was accompanied with the tabling of the motion to introduce
a Private Member’s Bill by Abdul Hadi Awang of PAS. This caught us totally by
surprise, especially as the prime minister had announced that it was
withdrawing plans by the government to introduce its own bill on the same
topic. We were also given the impression that the Speaker would not have enough
time to allow Hadi’s motion to be tabled.

Non-Muslims
are once again victims of “fake” or false impressions given to the public that
the issue on unilateral conversion will be discussed and settled in the latest
session of the Parliament. Poor Indira Gandhi has to wait now until July or
August this year. Even more disappointing is that the IGP is unable to locate
her child as ordered by our own courts.

In
1988, the non-Muslims were told that Act 121(1A) was to protect Muslim women
against Muslim fathers because they go to civil court after losing their cases
in shariah court. I remember then the non-Muslims were assured that they would
not be affected by the changes in 121(1A). But now our non-Muslim mothers have
lost their protection when their babies are snatched or grabbed and 121(1A) is
being abused to give powers to the police to protect the Muslim convert
fathers.

And
Hadi says the amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965
will not affect the non-Muslims. What happens when a Muslim and a non-Muslim
are caught jointly in a criminal act? Will they be tried in two different
courts with different types of punishments for the same offence when they are
both Malaysians?

Sexual
offences must have a number of qualified witnesses in a shariah court, whereas
non-Muslim accused will be tried in a civil court using witnesses and modern
scientific evidences! But for a joint offence one may go free while the other
may be punished with a high sentence. Yet they are citizens of the same
country.

Where
do we the non-Muslims go from here?

A.
Vaithilingam is the former president of the Malaysian Consultative Council on
Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST).

With
a firm belief in freedom of expression and without prejudice, FMT tries its
best to share reliable content from third parties. Such articles are strictly
the writer’s (or organisation’s) personal opi

KUALA
LUMPUR: Although much has been said about the position of Islam in the country,
Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the Barisan Nasional (BN) government remains committed
in supporting Islam in line with the Federal Constitution.

The
Prime Minister said this was in line with Article 3 of the Federal Constitution
which clearly stated that Islam is the religion of the Federation but other
religions may be practiced in peace and harmony.

He
said if we were to delve deeper and look at it in totality the government had
done a lot to ensure Islam continued to grow and the Muslims in the country are
protected.

“For
example, in Budget 2017, I announced an allocation of RM50 million for
government-aided religious schools and RM50 million for registered ‘pondok’
Islamic religious schools.

“For
the first time too, the government allocated RM30 million to synchronise tahfiz
education through the National Tahfiz Education Policy. This is an important
step in determining that Tahfiz al-Quran institutions continued to flourish and
grow,” he said in his latest blog post titled “Islam Under the Barisan
Nasional.”

Najib
said the BN-led federal government realised that Quran and Tahfiz Al-Quran
education were significant ingredients in preserving Islam, especially in
generating Islamic scholars to counter accusations and slander made by
extremists against Islam.

“This
is also one of the measures taken by the government to curb the spread of
extremism in Malaysia.

The
deferment of two controversial Bills, despite Parliament sitting for an entire
month, has laid bare how Malaysia's tense inter-religious ties have forced
politicians to stand still rather than move towards uniting the multi-ethnic
nation.

Parti
Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) president Abdul Hadi Awang was allowed at short notice
on Thursday to propose a controversial Bill to strengthen Islamic courts, to
the surprise of many.

This
was after Barisan Nasional, the 13-party ruling coalition led by Umno, decided
last week not to sponsor Datuk Seri Hadi's amendments to the Syariah Courts
(Criminal Jurisdiction) Act.

This
was due to non-Muslim concern that it would lead to further Islamisation at the
cost of their civil liberties, despite assurances by PAS that only Muslims
would be affected.

The
widespread view is that the Speaker of the House, an Umno leader, could have
easily blocked Mr Hadi's Bill from being raised at all.

But
that wasn't the only surprise on Thursday involving the issue of religious
rights.

Amendments
to the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act that would stop Muslim parents
gaining custody of unilaterally converted children without their non-Muslim
spouse's consent was also dropped, causing outrage from civil society. The
Straits Times understands that the draft was ready more than a month ago.

Analysts
believe that the second Bill was pulled as Umno, after deciding not to take
over Mr Hadi's Islamic Bill, cannot afford to be seen by conservative Malay
Muslims to be supporting amendments clamoured by non-Muslims.

Said
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies' senior fellow Yang Razali
Kassim: "Umno has shown that when push comes to shove, it cannot be
depended (upon) to uphold Islam. If the marriage reform Bill goes through (as
well), this cannot be good for Umno. Especially not before a general
election."

A
source involved in the drafting of amendments to the Law Reform Act told The
Straits Times that when the Bill was ready, the minister-in-charge of national
unity Joseph Kurup promised that the fix was not part of a package deal with the
Syariah Bill.

"According
to the minister, it was a done deal," the source said.

The
changes in the second Bill would have put an end to a slew of unilateral
conversion cases that have raised communal tensions in recent years.

One
example is that of Ms Indira Gandhi, who is in an eight-year battle with her
former husband who converted to Islam. He unilaterally converted their children
to Islam, and then snatched their youngest daughter, before winning custodial
rights in the Syariah Court - a parallel legal system that runs alongside the
civil courts.

Mr
Hadi and Perak Mufti Harussani Zakaria have been among those protesting against
changes to the Law Reform Act, saying the proposed amendments would be
unconstitutional and run counter to a 2009 religious edict declaring that
children of converts automatically become Muslims.

Muslims
are expected to make up more than a quarter of the world’s population by 2030.
As their numbers grow, so will the global demand for Islamic products and
services.

The
Muslim consumer market is huge and relatively under-served in the conventional
marketplace, but world economies are fast joining the rush for a slice of the
pie in this lucrative multitrillion-dollar industry. Quartz reports the global
Islamic market in 2013 was already worth a staggering US$3.6 trillion; come
2020, that figure is expected to balloon to over US$5 trillion.

For
the young and uninitiated, this inevitably means one thing: opportunities
abound as the need for more trained experts in anything Islam-approved or “halal”
will experience stark growth in the coming years.

No
country is more ready than Malaysia to supply the manpower for this through its
universities.

Halal
is an Arabic word that means “permissible” – a halal product or service is thus
one that is done in line with Islamic law.

For
decades, Malaysia has been a pioneer in this line of business, building a halal
component for each level of the supply chain and coming up with
Shariah-compliant products for almost everything, from food items to even
toiletries such as toothpaste.

These
goods and services were then exported to both the Muslim and increasingly, the
non-Muslim world.

Now,
there is a new export to add to this list: graduates.

“The
halal market is a huge market, huge industry,” said Dr Mohamad Aizat Jamaludin
of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) to Study
International during the Malaysia International Halal Showcase in Kuala Lumpur
on Wednesday.

The
assistant professor is part of a faculty that is training specialists both on and
off campus on Shariah law and the halal industry skills related to it.

On
its campus, situated north of Malaysia’s capital city, Dr Aizat and his
colleagues teach students from countries such as South Korea, China and Egypt.

These
foreign students make up the majority (60 percent) of students in the three
postgraduate courses offered by IIUM, i.e. PhD in Halal Industry, Masters in
Halal Industry Management and MSc in Halal Industry Science.

Outside
university grounds, Dr Aizat and his team from the school’s International
Institute for Halal Research and Training (Inhart) are also bringing their
expertise in areas such as “halal auditing”, to countries like South Korea, and
soon, to China and Canada.

And
the knowledge exchange does not stop there.

IIUM
students also have plans to bring their knowledge gained here back to their
home states.

One
of them is Park Mingyu, who hopes to use what he learned in Malaysia to build a
more sustainable and efficient halal industry system back home in South Korea.

According
to the Sun Moon University alum, the halal industry in South Korea is solely
focused on profit, instead of one that is putting in place a “halal ecosystem”
based on policies.

Majorities
of Americans concerned about violence against Jews, Muslims

April
8, 2017

For
the first time, a majority of Americans has voiced concern about violence
against Jews, polling by the Anti-Defamation League shows.

While
52 percent of Americans surveyed said they were disturbed about such violence,
an even higher percentage — 76 percent — said they were concerned about
violence against Muslims.

The
ADL commissioned two surveys to determine the mood of the country, one in
October 2016 and another from January through February, as part of its ADL
Global 100 project.

It
found that more than 8 in 10 Americans — 84 percent — say it is important for
government to be involved in combating anti-Semitism, an increase from 70
percent in 2014.

“The
good news in this research is that today a large majority of Americans do not
subscribe to common anti-Semitic stereotypes,” said ADL CEO Jonathan A.
Greenblatt. “It’s also encouraging that a record number of Americans are
concerned about violence against the Jewish and Muslim communities, and are
troubled at how intolerance has infected our politics.”

The
survey found a slight increase in Americans with anti-Semitic views, totaling
14 percent of the population. That figure, which was 12 percent in 2013, is
based on responses to 11 questions that might indicate “anti-Semitic
propensities.”

In
a separate question, 30 percent of Americans said they believed that “Jews were
responsible for the death of Christ,” an increase from 25 percent in 2013.

Researchers
found that most Americans do not view President Donald Trump as personally
anti-Semitic but almost half (49 percent) said he should have done more to
discourage anti-Semitism during the presidential campaign.

For
the first time, the ADL looked at the attitudes of U.S. Muslims about Jews and
their own place in American society. About a third (34 percent) were found to
hold anti-Semitic views, compared with 55 percent of Muslims in Europe and 75
percent of Muslims in the Middle East and North Africa.

The
vast majority of Muslim Americans (89 percent) are concerned about violence
directed at them and U.S. Muslim institutions and 64 percent said they didn’t
believe the government was doing enough to keep them safe. While 72 percent
said they didn’t believe they needed to hide their faith, 66 percent said they
felt less safe since Trump’s election.

islamabad
- United States Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale said DFriday the American
private sector was finding Pakistan to be an increasingly attractive market.

Delivering
remarks at the opening of the two-day ‘Business Summit’ here, he said the US
and Pakistan were closely aligned on the key goal of Pakistan’s economic
development, and that innovation is key to achieving this goal.

The
summit was organised by Nutshell Forum in collaboration with the Ministry of
Planning, Development and Reforms.

Highlighting
the untapped potential for growth in the US-Pakistan economic relationship,
Ambassador Hale observed that American companies were increasing their presence
in Pakistan.

He
said: “From some of our largest manufacturers and infrastructure companies, to
small and medium services companies, the American private sector is finding Pakistan
to be an increasingly attractive market.

American
business leaders praise the quality of people that they work with, and the
interest that Pakistan’s business community has shown in American products.”

He
added, “The biggest challenge – for Pakistan as well as for America and all
other economies – is for governments to be flexible enough to facilitate and
support the new business models and innovation that entrepreneurs are
developing in such a fast-changing global economy.”

Speakers
from Muslim, Japanese American and Jewish communities take part in ‘Vigilance
Against Injustice’ event

SAMANTHA
PAK

Apr
6th, 2017

On
Sunday, members of various communities came together in Redmond in an effort to
educate people on historical events so as to not repeat the mistakes of the
past.

The
event, “Vigilance Against Injustice,” was co-hosted by the Muslim Association
of Puget Sound (MAPS) in Redmond and Islamic Center of Bothell (ICOB) and
featured speakers from the local Muslim, Japanese American and Jewish
communities. They discussed the lessons learned from the incarceration of
Japanese Americans during World War II as well as the Holocaust in Europe,
drawing parallels to present-day bigotry and fears against various minority
groups.

ICOB
director Ryan Welton and lead organizer for the event said the current
political and social climate in this country surrounding Muslims, Latinos, Jews
and other minority groups “bears stark resemblance to the vitriol and attitudes
that prevailed in both America and Europe leading up to World War II,
culminating in the tragedies of the Holocaust and the incarceration of Japanese
Americans.”

“We
wanted to draw attention to what has come before us so that we can try to
understand that those occurrences were not isolated events that could never
happen again,” he said. “Our situation now is not as bad as what those groups
experienced at the height of their persecution, but the whole point is that we
should never allow it to get that bad in the first place.”

Welton
said if people could take away one thing from Sunday’s event, it would be to
pay attention to the rhetoric, language and actions employed by those who
persecuted Jews and Japanese Americans in the 1930s and 1940s and look at what
is being said and done to the Muslims, immigrants and other minorities in this
country today.

Muslims
are on track to become the world’s fastest-growing major religious group in the
years ahead, according to a new analysis of data from the Pew Research Center.

Christians
make up the largest religious group in the world, at 2.3 billion people.
Muslims make up the next biggest group, at just under 2 billion. But the global
Muslim population is relatively young, with a high fertility rate and a low
death rate.

In
an analysis released Wednesday, Pew estimates that in the five-year period
between 2030 and 2035, the Muslim birth rate will overtake the birth rate among
Christians, with 225 million babies born to Muslim families in those years,
compared to 224 million among Christians.

From
that point, the birth gap is only expected to increase. Between 2055 and 2060,
Pew estimates, there will be 232 million births among Muslims compared to 226
million births among Christians.

The
total Christian population will still be larger well into the century, and it
will continue to grow rapidly in some regions, like sub-Saharan Africa. But,
Pew notes, “the same cannot be said for Christian populations everywhere.”

In
recent years, Christians have accounted for roughly 37 percent of the world’s
deaths ― largely due to the advanced age of Christian populations in some parts
of the world.

“This
is especially true in Europe, where the number of deaths already is estimated
to exceed the number of births among Christians,” Pew notes. “In Germany alone,
for example, there were an estimated 1.4 million more Christian deaths than
births between 2010 and 2015, a pattern that is expected to continue across
much of Europe in the decades ahead.”

By
the final decades of the 21st century, Pew predicts, there will be more Muslims
than Christians in the world.

Meanwhile,
the world’s share of people who are religiously unaffiliated is expected to
drop.

It's
a story that's rocked the world: images of young children dying after a
chemical attack in Syria this week.

President
Donald Trump responded Thursday by launching missiles at a Syrian airbase.

The
events in the Middle East have had a profound impact on the Valley's Muslim and
Syrian communities.

Usama
Shami is president of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix.

He
also has family in Syria.

"Regardless
of faith, regardless of ethnicity, when you see something like this happening
to innocent children - innocent people - regardless of country - people have
compassion," said Shami. "They don't like to see that stuff
happen."

Usami
said there is significant support for what President Trump did, taking a stand
against the Syrian government.

Steve
Arkawi was born in Syria, but now lives in Paradise Valley.

"All
over the Syrian community, people were very happy to see President Trump take
action against that brutal regime," said Arkawi.

According
to Arkawi, what's going on in Syria is no different from what happened in Nazi
Germany during World War II.

Arkawi
hopes the U.S. air strike Thursday night is just the beginning.

"This
criminal, Riad al-Asaad, he's worse than Hitler," said Arkawi. "Assad
should be stopped one way or another. We're counting on this government to do
something to help the Syrian people."

Twitter
today dropped a lawsuit it filed on Thursday against the U.S. Homeland Security
Department, after saying the DHS withdrew its summons for records about who is
operating a Twitter account critical of President Donald Trump.

In
its now-abandoned lawsuit against the government, Twitter said they couldn't
unmask the identify of who was behind the @ALT_uscis account because of
Constitutional protections for free speech.

Whoever
is behind the account has not said who they are, but the format of the account implies
that it is one of many rogue accounts set up by U.S. government employees in
various agencies who were fearful of chaos and disruption as the Trump regime
took over.

The
lawsuit says the account "claims to be" the work of at least one
federal immigration employee.

The
"U.S. CIS" in @ALT_uscis refers to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services. The account describes itself as "immigration resistance."

Twitter
attorney Mark Flanagan said in court papers a U.S. Justice Department lawyer
told Twitter about the withdrawal of the summons on Friday, so the government's
demand "no longer has any force or effect."

The
shadow deputy provincial governor of the Taliban group for the northern Kunduz
province has been killed along with dozens of other insurgents in northern
Kunduz province.

According
to the local government officials, the militants were killed in the vicinity of
Dasht-e-Archi district.

Provincial
police chief General Abdul Hamid Hamidi confirmed that Mullah Assadullah
Mazlumyar, the shadow deputy provincial chief of the group for Kunduz was
killed in airstrikes conducted in Mullah Quli area of Dasht-e-Archi.

Gen.
Hamidi further added at least fourteen Taliban insurgents were also killed in
the airstrikes.

However,
the 209th Corps of the Afghan National Army in the north, in a statement said
at least 17 insurgents including Mullah Mazlumyar and six Tajikistanis were
killed.

In
the meantime, another official in the north put the number of the militants
killed in the airstrikes to 24 insurgents.

The
209th Shaheen Corps also added that 11 insurgents were killed and six others
were wounded during a separate operation in Sayad district of Sar-e-Pul
province.

15
ISIS militants killed during Hamza operations in East of Afghanistan

Apr
07 2017

At
least fifteen militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
(ISIS) terrorist group were killed during the ongoing Hamza military operations
in eastern Nangarhar province.

According
to the local officials, the militants were killed in the past 24 hours in Achin
district during the clearance operations and airstrikes.

The
provincial government media office in a statement said Thursday at least thirty
ISIS militants were killed during the Hamza operations since Wednesday.

The
statement further added that three more ISIS militants were also killed and
five others were wounded during the Shaheen military operations in Ghani Khel
district.

The provincial government also added that 700
hectares of land were also cleared of poppy during the ongoing campaign to
eradicate opium cultivation in this province.

Nangarhar
is among the relatively calm provinces in eastern Afghanistan but the
anti-government armed militant groups have recently increased their insurgency
activities in some parts of the province during the recent years.

Both
the Afghan and US forces conducted regular strikes against the loyalists of the
terror group in this province.

The
issue of forced exodus owing to alleged religious persecution of minorities,
including Hindus, from Bangladesh and their plea for Indian citizenship will be
heard by a Constitution bench during the summer vacation, the Supreme Court
said today.

The
2012 PIL will now be taken up along with other petitions relating to questions
including whether the children of illegal Bangladeshi Muslim migrants can avail
the benefit of Indian citizenship in Assam.

A
two-judge bench had earlier asked the Centre to detect and deport all illegal
migrants who have come to Assam after March 25, 1971 and hold discussions with
the Bangladesh government to ensure that illegal migrants are sent back.

It
had also decided to keep monitoring the work of border fencing to ensure no
foreigner comes to India illegally.

However,
the court in December 2014 had referred to a five-judge bench the issues
relating to the cut-off date for granting citizenship to illegal Bangladeshi
migrants and the status of children of such illegal migrants under the existing
law.

A
three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar today decided to tag the
PIL seeking citizenship or refugee status to thousands of displaced persons of
minorities including Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Christians due to their
alleged religious persecution in Bangladesh with the cases of illegal Muslim
migrants in Assam.

During
the brief hearing on the PIL filed by NGO 'Swajan' and others, Additional
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that the Bill on
granting Indian citizenship to members of religious minorities of Bangladesh is
pending in the Parliament.

The
bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul, said that the
present plea should be heard together with similar other petitions and fixed
April 19 for framing of issues to be deliberated upon by a Constitution bench
during the summer vacation.

A
Constitution bench consists of a minimum of five judges.

The
petition filed by the NGO had stated that in spite of a specific mandate of
Section 2 of Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 protecting from
expulsion victims of civil disturbances, no measures have been taken either by
the Centre or the Assam government to provide "ameliorative" steps
for displaced persons.

Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has censured the recent US airstrikes
against Syria, saying the United States is fighting on the same side as
al-Qaeda and Daesh terrorist groups in Yemen and Syria.

“As
the only recent victim of mass use of chemical weapons (by [former Iraqi
dictator] Saddam [Hossein] in the '80s, Iran condemns use of all WMD (weapons
of mass destruction) by anyone against anyone,” Zarif said in a post on his
Twitter account on Friday.

He
emphasized that Washington helped Saddam in its chemical weapons attack against
Iran, but the US has twice in the current millennium used "bogus"
chemical weapons allegations to use military force, including in the 2003
invasion of Iraq and the current strikes against Syria.

The
top Iranian diplomat added that it is high time to stop “hype and cover-ups.”

Dozens
of people were killed in a chemical attack in the Syrian town of Khan Shaykhun
in the northwestern province of Idlib on Tuesday.

The
United States and its allies were quick to accuse the Syrian government forces
of carrying out the attack. The Syrian army said, however, that “it has never
used them (chemical weapons), anytime, anywhere, and will not do so in the
future.”

US
warships deployed to the Mediterranean carried out an airstrike on an army
airbase near Homs by firing some 60 Tomahawk missiles at the Shayrat airfield
southeast of Homs early Friday.

US
military attack cover for supporting terrorists

Meanwhile,
during the weekly Friday Prayers in Tehran, a senior Iranian cleric said the US
carried out the military attack on Syria as a cover to support terrorists.

Addressing
Western powers, particularly the US, Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani said,
“You have founded and nurtured terrorists and Israel and are now falsely
claiming the Syrian government has used chemical weapons.”

Syria
has no chemical weapons: Iran MP

Furthermore,
a senior Iranian lawmaker said the Syrian government has relinquished all its
chemical weapons stockpiles and is not in possession of no such arms, stressing
that Iran and Russia would not keep silent on the “unwise” US strikes in Syria.

“Such
an unwise move by the US will undoubtedly have serious consequences because
countries such as Russia and Iran will not remain silent in the face of such
measures which are at odds with the interests of the region,” Chairman of the
Iranian Parliament's Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy Alaeddin
Boroujerdi said on Friday.

He
pointed to the Syrian army’s “superior position" in the fight against
terrorists and its liberation of the northwestern city of Aleppo and some other
areas, saying, “A country which is winning the war, will not conduct such an
act (carry out a chemical attack).”

The
Iranian legislator added that the US and its regional and European allies’
claim of the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons was only a pretext to
cover up their failures in Syria over the past six years.

US
strikes on Syria aim to boost terrorism: Shamkhani

Meanwhile,
the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) said the US
“criminal” attack against Syria was a violation of international regulations
and a clear indication of Washington’s fixed policy of using terrorism as a
means to achieve its own political objectives in the crisis-hit Arab country.

“Undoubtedly,
such measures will further complicate political and security equations in Syria
and [lead to the] creation of dangerous and unpredictable precedent,” Ali
Shamkhani said.

The
moves would, however, “fail to have any impact on the motivation of the Syrian government and
nation in their resolute fight against terrorism backed by the
Western-Zionist-Arab front," he added.

He
emphasized that Iran is closely and carefully monitoring developments in Syria
and would strongly and resolutely continue down the path of combating terrorism
through close consultation with its partners and regardless of the suspicious
conduct by some Western countries and their regional allies.

The
SNSC secretary also said the Islamic Republic has repeatedly stressed the
importance of collective and international efforts to stop the flow of weapons
of mass destruction to terrorists.

Shamkhani
said there is no ground and justification for the Syrian government to use
chemical weapons and called for the formation of an independent fact-finding
group to determine the motives and reasons for the chemical weapons attack in
the town of Khan Sheikhun in Idlib province earlier this week.

Turkish
President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said on Friday it was necessary to enforce
a no-fly zone and create safe zones in Syria without delay, calling U.S.
missile strikes against a Syrian air base a positive response to "war
crimes".

"The
US is fighting on the same side of Al-Qaeda and the ISIL terrorist groups in
Yemen and Syria," Zarif wrote on his Twitter account on Friday.

He
reiterated that as the only recent victim of massive use of chemical weapons
(by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hossein in the 1980s, Iran condemns use of all
weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) by anyone against others.

Zarif
reiterated that Washington helped Saddam in its chemical weapons attack against
Iran, but the US has twice in the current millennium used "bogus"
chemical weapons allegations to use military force, including in the 2003
invasion of Iraq and the current strikes against Syria.

The
top Iranian diplomat added that it is high time to stop “hype and cover-ups.”

Dozens
of people were killed in a chemical attack in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun
in the Northwestern province of Idlib on Tuesday.

The
United States and its allies were quick to accuse the Syrian government forces
of carrying out the attack. The Syrian army said, however, that “it has never
used them (chemical weapons), anytime, anywhere, and will not do so in the
future.”

Full
report at:

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960118000688

--------

US
strike on Syria strengthens regional terrorism: Iran's president

Apr
7, 2017

Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani has censured the US for a recent missile strike
against an airbase in Syria, saying the aggression will boost terrorism in the
region and strengthen lawlessness and instability in the world.

“I
call on the world to reject such policies, which bring only destruction and
danger to the region and the globe,” Rouhani said in a post on his Twitter
account on Friday night.

The
Iranian president’s comments came after the US military pounded the Shayrat
airfield southeast of Homs with 59 Tomahawk missiles in the early hours of
Friday, marking the Pentagon's first direct attack against the Arab country
since the beginning of the foreign-backed conflict in 2011.

“US
aggression against Shayrat strengthens regional extremism and terror, and
global lawlessness and instability, and must be condemned,” Rouhani further
said.

On
US President Donald Trump’s order, US warships in the Mediterranean carried out
the strike on the military facility in response to an alleged chemical weapons
attack in the town of Khan Shaykhoun in Idlib province earlier this week.
Damascus has categorically denied carrying out a chemical attack.

Washington
and its allies were quick to accuse Damascus of conducting the attack. The
Syrian army said, however, that “it has never used them (chemical weapons),
anytime, anywhere, and will not do so in the future.”

“The
tragedy of Khan Shaykhoun is horrifying & must be condemned. It reminds
Iranians, victim of chemical weapons for years, [of] the attacks in Sardasht,”
Rouhani added, referring to a tragic chemical bombing of the northwestern
Iranian city of Sardasht by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein back in 1987,
during the Iraqi-imposed war on Iran. The chemical attack killed over 100
Iranian civilians and injured hundreds of others.

"President
(Vladimir) Putin regards the US attacks on Syria as an aggression against a
sovereign state in violation of the norms of international law, and under a
trumped-up pretext at that," Pesov told Sputnik.

Russian
President Vladimir Putin also sees the latest US missile strikes on a military
airfield in Syria as an attempt to distract from the mounting civilian
casualties in Iraq, the Kremlin added.

"Putin
also sees the attacks on Syria by the US as an attempt to divert the
international community's attention from the numerous casualties among
civilians in Iraq."

The
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had confirmed that
Syrian armed forces do not possess chemical weapons, the Kremlin cited Russian
President Vladimir Putin as saying Friday while warning of the danger of
ignoring terrorist use of chemical weapons.

US
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement after the US attack that
there were no discussions or prior contacts between the United States and
Moscow ahead of the missile strike on the Syrian base.

"The
fact of the destruction of all chemical weapons stockpiles has been recorded
and confirmed by the OPCW, a specialized UN unit," Peskov told reporters.

"At
the same time, in Putin's opinion, total disregard for the use of chemical
weapons by terrorists only drastically aggravates the situation," Peskov
said.

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960118000361

--------

Moscow
Suspends US-Russia Memorandum on Flights Safety in Syria

Apr
07, 2017

"The
Russian side suspends the Memorandum on preventing incidents and ensuring
flights safety during operations in Syria signed with the US," the
ministry said, TASS reported.

"We’re
urging the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the
current situation," the ministry said.

The
ministry claims the strike was prepared in advance. Washington has made
decision on missile strike on Syria prior to developments in Idlib province,
the statement said.

The
US strike in Syria is an attempt to distract attention from the situation in
Iraq’s Mosul, the statement said.

"Undoubtedly,
the US strike is an attempt to divert attention from the situation in Mosul
where hundreds of civilians lost their lives due to actions, including by the
US-led coalition, and the humanitarian disaster is mounting ," the
ministry said.

More
than 6,000 people have fled fighting in southern South Sudan, with refugees
recounting the slaughter of civilians by armed forces, the United Nations
refugee agency said Friday.

Fighting
between government forces and rebels erupted on Monday in the town of Pajok in
the country's southern Equatoria region, a previously peaceful part of the
country that has seen a surge in conflict in recent months.

According
to a statement from the UNHCR over 6,000 people have fled into the northern
Ugandan district of Lamwo since the attack while many others were hiding in the
bush trying to find their way to safety in Uganda as main roads were blocked by
armed groups.

"People
fleeing the recent incident claimed that the town came under an indiscriminate
attack by the South Sudan armed forces," the statement said.

"Refugees
told the UNHCR team on the ground in Lamwo terrifying stories of violence and
abuse against civilians. Many have witnessed their loved ones shot dead or
slaughtered like animals," UNHCR spokesman Rocco Nuri told AFP.

"Families
fled in all directions. Those unable to run were reportedly shot dead,
including the elderly and people with disabilities."

A
local pastor who fled Parjok on Wednesday, and asked not to be named, told AFP
soldiers had entered the town in tanks "and suddenly we saw shooting and
we just had to run."

Both
he and regional Anglican Bishop Oringa Benard reported that some 135 people had
been killed, however this could not be independently verified.

"The
mission has received reports of fighting between SPLA (government) troops and
the opposition there and is trying to follow-up on reports of civilians killed
in the area," the statement by UNMISS said.

UNMISS
urged the government to immediately allow it access "so it can fully
implement its mandate, including to protect civilians and report on human
rights violations."

South
Sudan government spokesman Michael Makuei confirmed to AFP that its forces had
attacked Pajok.

"As
you know Pajok has been in the hands of the rebels so what happened was
government forces went there and fighting ensued and so the civilian population
that has been staying with the rebels had to run away," he said.

"I
don't know the figure (of those who might have been killed or injured) but in
any fighting there must be casualties."

Uganda
currently hosts more than 832,000 refugees from South Sudan, including over
270,000 in the Bidibidi refugee camp which in eight months has gone from an
empty patch of land to the world's biggest refugee camp.

Thousands
of the Muslim faithful in Kenya Friday protested a plan by to demolish their
mosque in the capital Nairobi to pave the way for road construction.

The
mosque accommodates more than 2,500 Muslims, and after Friday prayers local
believers marched to where officials from the Kenya Urban Roads Authority
(KURA) had parked road steamrollers, excavators, and forklifts, among other
equipment.

“The
committee of Jamia Mosque, which is the custodian of the mosque, legally
acquired the title deed in 2005, making it the sole and legal owner of the land
where the mosque is built.”

Chandhry
said that even though there is an ongoing court case, KURA wants to go ahead
and demolish the mosque, claiming that the house of worship lies along a
right-of-way for the state, meaning the state can destroy the mosque and offer
no compensation. “We are disturbed, as
the mosque is an important religious center for the community living in
Parklands and its demolition will amount to an affront to freedom of worship as
enshrined in the constitution,” he added.

Mosque
officials told Anadolu Agency that KURA has declined to offer any form of
compensation if they were to agree to a relocation.

“They
should either compensate us or give us an alternate land. The mosque legally
owns the land and it should be compensated,” said Sheikh Salim Mohammed.

A
military tribunal on Thursday jailed 15 Burkinabe soldiers for up to 17 years
each over a failed raid on an arms depot last year.

The
soldiers on trial included 10 members of the former elite presidential guard
(RSP) of ousted leader Blaise Compaore.

They
were found guilty of taking the arms which were allegedly to be used to attack
Ouagadougou military prison in order to release former RSP head General Gilbert
Diendere and other soldiers jailed for their alleged involvement in a failed
coup in September 2015.

The
coup bid was thwarted by street protesters and support from the army, which
attacked the plotters' barracks.

Thirteen
other soldiers were handed 10-year jail terms.

The
military prosecutor has sought prison terms of up to 20 years for the accused.

The
convicted troops have complained of being tortured to extract confessions.